Petra Jones of Huntington Park honored by college alma mater

RIPON, WI (06/19/2012)(readMedia)-- Petra Jones of Huntington Park will be honored with the Distinguished Alumni Citation at Ripon College during its annual alumni awards banquet Friday, June 22. Jones is a 1982 alumna of the college, which is located in East Central Wisconsin.

Jones has been a teacher at Gage Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 25 years, where she has been a union chapter chair and co-chair. In 1999, she and her team were honored by the union with the inaugural Platinum Apple award. She has also been heavily involved with the AIDS Walk Los Angeles;  she and her students have won multiple volunteer of the year awards for their contributions. She walks to work all but a couple days per year, a rarity in L.A.

Petra is originally from Rochester, Minn. and now lives with her partner, Louie Trujillo. She received her master's degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987. Petra is the third generation and fifth member of her family to receive a Distinguished Alumni Citation from Ripon College.

About the Distinguished Alumni Citation

The Distinguished Alumni Citation recognizes those alumni who, in thought and deed, embody the highest ideals and aspirations of a Ripon College education. Candidates may be selected based on any one of the following criteria: distinction in his/her chosen field or profession (distinctive achievement); rendering outstanding service to his/her country, state or community (outstanding service); or rendering outstanding service to and demonstrating a loyal and active interest in Ripon College (meritorious service). Nominations may be made by

members of the faculty, administration, individual alumni, and groups or alumni clubs through the Office of the Annual Fund, Alumni Relations and Parent Programs for presentation to the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

About Ripon College

Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon's liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a "best value" and "Best 376 College" by The Princeton Review, a "Best Buy in College Education" by Barron's, a "Best Liberal-Arts College" by Washington Monthly, a "Top 25 Schools for Do-Gooders" by Newsweek, among the top-tier and best-value colleges by U.S. News and World Report, and among the top 200 private colleges in the nation overall and for value by Forbes Magazine. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.

###